Library bringing books on the road
North Side residents using bookmobile resources
(CNS Local Life): The Cayman Islands Public Library Service (CIPLS) is bringing books to those residents who would otherwise have difficulty getting to a library. The service’s bookmobile will carry reading materials to individual seniors, residents of retirement homes, and other adult populations with limited mobility.
Outfitted with a small collection of fiction and non-fiction print materials, the unit will make monthly stops to targeted locations in each district.
“We hope to bring the bookmobile to your community on the last Friday of each month. The patrons we visit will have the opportunity to sign-up for library cards, borrow books, and find out about new senior programmes that are being developed for the local Public Library,” Ramona Melody, CIPLS director, said in a press release.
A bookmobile extends the reach of traditional libraries by transporting books to community members, providing library services to people in otherwise-underserved locations, said the release.
The aim is to visit communities on Fridays, but the plan is to determine the most convenient times to visit based on the feedback of those interested in the service.
The visits will take place before 4:30pm and the day will be adjusted according to the greatest demand.
The programme had a soft launch in February this year and has been running with limited staff; eventually, staff members will be assigned to districts based on where they work and visits will take place once per month.
If the public wishes to get involved they are encouraged to contribute books, audio books, magazines and especially large-print materials.
“Due to unreliable transportation and/or lack of the Internet, there are significant barriers for some persons to access information,” said Minister for Education Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. “I am proud that the bookmobile helps overcome these barriers by bringing the materials to the people who may need it most.”
For more information on the bookmobile go to the CIPLS website or call 949-5159
